Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi has recalled a key piece of advice he received from Pep Guardiola during his time at Barcelona. He said the manager spoke about respecting opponents, claiming that the best way to show respect is to play your best regardless of the situation or match.

Speaking on the Miro de Atrás podcast, Messi said that he has always tried to be respectful on the pitch. He likes to focus on his game regardless of the opponent and said:

“I always tried to be very respectful on the pitch. I remember Guardiola always told us: the best way to respect your opponent is to always play the same way, be serious, keep scoring, keep playing properly. And that’s what we tried to do at the time, and what I always tried to do, be respectful, be serious, and play my game.”

Messi admitted that he has not always been at his best behavior on the pitch, saying that emotions have taken over in some situations. However, he believes in leaving things on the pitch and not following up off the pitch and said:

“Obviously, I’m not a saint. In a match you get heated, you react however you can, there are a million situations. But for me, everything that happened on the pitch stayed on the pitch. I might have crossed the line, like we say, and said anything in the heat of the moment.”

“When you want to win so badly, you get fired up. But… like we say: what happens on the field, stays on the field. I grew up with that idea, you know? That everything stays on the pitch, and everything that happens in a locker room stays in the locker room.”

Lionel Messi was involved in an incident with the MLS referees over the weekend, when he was spotted chasing them into their room. However, the league have announced that he will not be punished as he did not enter a restricted area.

Social media has changed footballers, says Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi has claimed that modern footballers have started talking about on-field incidents in the media. He spoke about growing up with a different mindset, but understands how social media has impacted the players and said:

“It feels strange to me nowadays when a different generation goes out and talks publicly about what happened during a match, or what happened inside a dressing room. I grew up with a different mindset. But I understand that times change too. Today’s generation consumes a lot more social media, and because of that, all these things end up being exposed. But for me, it all stays there.”

Lionel Messi has extended his contract with Inter Miami and will remain with the club until 2028.